1989 Wine and Port Vintage

Vintage Port:1989 was not a general declaration of Vintage for Ports. However this was a good year that produced some attractive, full bodied single quinta wines with plenty of appeal. A Port like our 1989 Messias Vintage Port , recommended by our wine buyer, makes an excellent 30 year old wine gift for a 30th birthday or anniversary.

Bordeaux: The 1989 vintage was the middle year of a successful run of three vintages from 1988 to 1990. The vintage is now regarded as an excellent vintage for Bordeaux. As with the other successful vintages the weather was kind with a long, hot, dry summer ripening the grapes. The conditions seemed to favour St Julien, Pauillac and Pomerol but not so much Margaux. The wines from this vintage are generally characterised by high tannin levels, low acidity and high alcohol levels due to the ripe grapes.

Champagne: The 2nd in a trio of great vintages. Spring was early and was followed by ideal growing conditions with a very hot summer leading to a large crop of very ripe and healthy grapes being harvested in September and October. The champagnes are rich, luscious and soft, being exceptionally appealing in youth but also possessing enough rip and acidity to reward extended cellaring. In style, and character, the champagnes are reminiscent of the glorious 1982 vintage.

Spain: The 1989 Wine vintage in Spain was above average and many fine wines were produced. The winter of 1988/9 was very cold, dry and frosty - one of the driest of the century. There were heavy frosts at the end of November which affected some of the vines, causing an irregular budding the following spring: Viura was worst hit, with some damage to Tempranillo and less to Garnacha vines. Spring, by contrast, was very warm with the vines developing early and setting taking place in Rioja Baja in the first week of June, with the rest of the region following suit in the next two weeks. The summer was hot but, as so often, afflicted by hailstorms over quite wide areas of Rioja Alta and more localised parts of Rioja Alavesa. However, by the end of summer the vines were estimated to be two weeks in front of a normal year in development terms. The vintage started in Rioja Baja on 6th September.

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A 20 Year Old Tawny and a 10 Year Old Tawny, both ports come in a Double dark mocha leather effect gift box.

Taylor's 20 Year Old Tawny: Taylor’s blends its magnificent 20 year old Tawny Ports from its extensive reserves of old cask aged Ports matured in the firm’s cool and tranquil cellars, (known as ‘lodges’) in Oporto on Portugal’s Atlantic coast.

In the 20 Year Old Tawny, the fruit has mellowed further than in the 10 Year Old, and the spicy, nutty aromas of ageing are more powerful and intense.

Taylor's 10 Year Old Tawny:Taylor’s blends its magnificent 10 year old tawny from its extensive reserves of old cask aged Ports matured in the firm’s cool and tranquil cellars (known as ‘lodges’) in Oporto on Portugal’s Atlantic coast. …more >>>

Exclusive to VWP, The 1989 Quinta do Cachao from the very good 1989 vintage has an outstanding provenance. VWP have taken these bottles directly from Messias' cellars in Oporto where they have been stored since original bottling.

This is the 1989 Vintage Port from Caves Messias, owners of the Quinta do Cachao vineyard located in a prime position in the heart of the Douro valley. Decanted for 4 hours to allow the port to come into balance, it has a deep mahogany core with a lighter edge. The port is beautifully matured with lovely developed complex aromas of wild fruits, chocolate, dried fruits and nuts. …more >>>

This aged Tawny Port from Messias has a characteristic bouquet of of dried fruits, spices and roasting, most evident in wines matured in the barrel. In the mouth, turns out to be a soft and harmonious wine, with a very persistent aroma and a good long finish. more >>>

Fonseca 10 Year Old Tawny Port (50cl): Fonseca 10 Year Old Tawny is russet in colour with brilliant crimson highlights and a fragrant, ripe-fruit bouquet. Its smooth, silky texture and subtle oak nuances are balanced by a fresh acidity and tannic "grip" that culminate in a long, elegant, plummy finish. …more >>>

Feuerheerd blends its magnificent Tawny Ports from its extensive reserves of old cask aged Ports matured in the firm’s cool and tranquil cellars, (known as ‘lodges’) in Oporto on Portugal’s Atlantic coast.

Feuerheerd's 20 Year Old Tawny: ***91 Points-Wine Enthusiast***This aged tawny port wine has a very soft texture with intense complexity and aromas of nuts, raisins and figs. …more >>>

Reviews: "The 1989 Colheita Tawny Port was bottled in 2015 with 103.6 grams per liter of residual sugar. Fresh and balanced, with a feeling of liveliness, this is more about restraint and elegance than mid-palate weight, but it shows fine concentration of flavor on the finish and delivers more than adequate mid-palate concentration as well. It also has more power than anticipated on first taste. Tightening fast as it warms, its fresh feel if laced with just a touch of Whiskey that provides the perfect counterweight to the tension on the finish and fine flavors. …more >>>

This 1989 red wine from from Spain is fully mature.On the nose there is cured meats, smoked paprika, cayenne powder, fall leaves, and aged leather. The palate is medium bodied with acidity and jammy red fruits. more >>>

This 30 year old wine from the 1989 vintage is a very good Spanish Gran Reserva wine having spent extended tim in oak barrels. The wine is fully mature, medium red with clear edges. Beef broth, pepper, black berry and earth. Elegant and developed. Tasty berry fruit, pepper and broth flavours and a pretty much resolved finish. more >>>

Graham's 30 Years Old is made from wines of the very highest quality which, following careful selection, are matured in seasoned oak casks of until their peak of maturity is reached. These are among the most demanding and challenging styles of Port to produce requiring great skill and years of experience from the winemaker and blender. It is essential to strike the correct balance between the delicacy and elegance which results from prolonged cask ageing while retaining the fruit quality which lends this old Tawny its structure and longevity.

Golden amber with a pale green tinge at the rim which denotes great quality and class. …more >>>

This aged Tawny Port from Messias has a characteristic bouquet of of dried fruits, spices and roasting, most evident in wines matured in the barrel. In the mouth, turns out to be a soft and harmonious wine, with a very persistent aroma and a good long finish. more >>>

Only tiny quantities of this aged tawny port are produced each year, making the wines extremely rare and amongst the most revered in the world. This Tawny port has been aged in oak casks for an average of 30 years. During their long maturation they become tawny in colour and concentrated in their aromas. This port has very intense and elegant flavours which combine to give a smooth, fine finish. This 30-year-old tawny from Taylor's own vineyards shows incredible length, a deep, old gold colour with hints of dried fruit and honey offsetting the rich nutty aromas. Lush, silky richness with an elegant, slightly austere quality which is quite distinctive. …more >>>

Caves S. Joao, established in 1920, became a dominant force in Portuguese wine making in the early 20th century with their houses Porta dos Cavaleiros in Dao and Frei Joao in Bairrada. Given the shifting trends in consumer preferences, Bairrada and Dao fell to obscurity in the 1990s when critical influence drove the demand for bigger, extracted, warmer climate wines. As in all things, however, what comes around goes around! Sure enough, 20 years later savvy consumers and food-conscious sommeliers are looking for finesse and freshness and heading back to Bairrada and Dao. Wines that when young had a vegetal character, …more >>>

Caves S. Joao, established in 1920, became a dominant force in Portuguese wine making in the early 20th century with their houses Porta dos Cavaleiros in Dao and Frei Joao in Bairrada. Given the shifting trends in consumer preferences, Bairrada and Dao fell to obscurity in the 1990s when critical influence drove the demand for bigger, extracted, warmer climate wines. As in all things, however, what comes around goes around! Sure enough, 20 years later savvy consumers and food-conscious sommeliers are looking for finesse and freshness and heading back to Bairrada and Dao. Wines that when young had a vegetal character, …more >>>

This 1989 Barbera del Monferrato has a deep ruby hue and a bouquet of ripe plum and cherries, often piqued by a hint of black pepper. Barbera-based wines are known for retaining a balanced acidity even in warmer vintages, making them an ideal partner to tomato-based dishes. These wines are lower in tannin, making them more approachable in their early years. Barbera from Monferrato differs from that made in Asti or Alba in both its provenance and style. Where Alba and Asti produce strongly structured wines, their Monferrato equivalents are more aromatic and often a little less robust. more >>>

Vintage Armagnac (Comes in original Lustrac wooden Box as illustrated)

Baron de Lustrac is a small traditional éleveur specialising in fine old Armagnac vintages. Their extensive range is sourced from neighbouring estates in the Tenereze and Mas Armagnac regions and they keep an ageing and bottling chais near Magnan, in the Bas Armagnac region.

All Armagnacs are aged in 420ltr oak barrels and sold as single vintages. The grapes used are all harvested from the one particular year, and will only be distilled if the conditions were particularly good. Perfect for big birthdays or as a special drink for the connoisseur as they truly are a fine example of the very best Armagnacs around. …more >>>

The 30 year old Barros port is an absolute delight. It has a flavour of raisins, prunes, cherries a little cinnamon. As a port it is surprisingly light considering its age in that it doesn’t have a heaviness to it. The mouth feel is quite light, approachable and drinkable. The finish is very long - this is an excellent wine.

Deep brown colour with greenish hints. Complex and powerful nose, dominated by the strong presence of the dried fruits and spices, combined with a subtle and refined note of vanilla. In the mouth it is concentrated, silky and engaging. A wine with an irreprehensible structure, great character and an apotheotic finish. The Burmester 30 Year Old Tawny is a classic wine of exceptional quality and elegance. more >>>

Caves S. Joao, established in 1920, became a dominant force in Portuguese wine making in the early 20th century with their houses Porta dos Cavaleiros in Dao and Frei Joao in Bairrada. Given the shifting trends in consumer preferences, Bairrada and Dao fell to obscurity in the 1990s when critical influence drove the demand for bigger, extracted, warmer climate wines. As in all things, however, what comes around goes around! Sure enough, 20 years later savvy consumers and food-conscious sommeliers are looking for finesse and freshness and heading back to Bairrada and Dao. Wines that when young had a vegetal character, …more >>>

Calem 30 Years Old is a result of careful blend of wines aged for 30 years in oak casks. With a tawny-green colour, it presents a bouquet of wood, spices, and nuts. In the mouth it is velvety and intense with a long grand finish. more >>>

Barley sugar, mandarin, beeswax and a little orange blossom. The palate is medium-bodied with very good structure, clean entry with citrus fruits, orange-blossom and a touch of tangerine. Vibrant on the entry with very good length – this is showing better than the 1997. Very fine. Drink now-2025+ Tasted April 2009." Neil Martin Wine Journal more >>>

Reviews"The Mouton ’89 is a lovely Pauillac that has reached its plateau of maturity. It has an engaging cedar-scented bouquet touches of cigar box, mint and a touch of Italian cooked meats. Very well defined, very “old school”. The palate is medium-bodied and very harmonious with grainy tannins. It continues the aromatic theme of cedar and tobacco, relatively foursquare compared to Pichon-Baron of Lynch Bages, with a slightly leafy finish that demonstrates great persistency. It is very “classic” in style, restrained, elegant and bearing similarities to Lafite. …more >>>

These vineyards are planted in the Dão, which has one of the best microclimates for viticulture in all of Portugal. Surrounded on all sides by 3 different mountain ranges, the Dão is completely protected from cold wind and rain from the Atlantic as well as Continental storms. Warm and dry throughout the first part of the growing season, the late summer grows rapidly cooler, which allows for slower maturation of fruit and longer hangtime. The region might well have been created with winemaking in mind. The vineyards are between 400 and 800m of elevation high in the hills, and are planted on decomposed schist and granite, giving the wines hallmark acidity and minerality. …more >>>

Caves S. Joao, established in 1920, became a dominant force in Portuguese wine making in the early 20th century with their houses Porta dos Cavaleiros in Dao and Frei Joao in Bairrada. Given the shifting trends in consumer preferences, Bairrada and Dao fell to obscurity in the 1990s when critical influence drove the demand for bigger, extracted, warmer climate wines. As in all things, however, what comes around goes around! Sure enough, 20 years later savvy consumers and food-conscious sommeliers are looking for finesse and freshness and heading back to Bairrada and Dao. Wines that when young had a vegetal character, …more >>>